25-04-2025
Jovan van Vuuren leads 'old-timer' domination at SA championships
Jovan van Vuuren reclaimed his South African long-jump crown at the national showpiece in Potchefsroom on Friday, keeping up a trend of veterans shining on the track.
The 28-year-old, who won his last title in 2022, cleared 8.00m to take first place ahead of defending champion Cheswill Johnson on 7.97m.
National record-holder and 2017 world champion Luvo Manyonga, on his way back after serving a four-year ban for a doping offence, ended sixth on 7.68m.
These championships have seen some great performances by youngsters, but it's been the older guys who have been taking the titles.
'Today was more a mental game for me in terms of what happened in Paris,' said Van Vuuren, who received threatening messages on his cellphone before his Olympic competition last year.
'For me it was all a confidence thing. The whole season was confidence and believing in myself again. Today proved to me that just jumping eight meters is special for me.
'Claiming the title, that's a bonus. Jumping eight metres showed me I'm still capable of jumping big jumps and playing with the big dogs internationally.'
Manyonga, who is staying with a family in Eerste River, believes he could start clearing 8am if he can get support like full-time coaching, nutrition and physio.
While others are planning campaigns into the European summer, Manyonga was less certain about his. 'I'm still hustling and trying to find myself in a proper place, having a proper system so I can be able to find myself in a place where I have a gym and everything…
'An athlete needs a proper team around him so he can perform more.'
Sabelo Dhlamini won his maiden South African title at the age of 30, running a 48.57 personal best that left him flat on his back for several minutes after the race.
Dhlamini, who completed his masters in public management and governance last year, had a best before 49.48 from last year, has exploded onto the scene this year, going 48.75 in February before lowering that on Friday.
'My coach [Reneilwe Aphane] and I in the previous years we've always tried to build the engine, build endurance, but that usually used to take away from my speed so this year I've been training with the 200 guys,' said the University of Johannesburg athlete.
He's not far from the 48.50 qualifying time for the world championships, but he was talking about running sub-48 in Japan, if not even sub-47.
'We want to try and get in the final maybe, who knows, maybe even get a 47 … maybe even get a medal, who knows…
'My coach believes in me more than I do myself.'
Zeney Geldenhuys successfully defended her 400m hurdles title, winning in 55.09 ahead of junior Tumi Ramokgopa, who was chuffed with her 55.90 personal best.
Karmen Fouche won the national heptathlon title her mother, Maralize Visser, held in years gone by.
The SA triple-jump champion from last year picked up the discipline only this year, but her total of 5969 points — the third highest by a South African after record-holder Janice Josephs (6181) and her mom (5988) — convinced her she's on the right path.
She finds javelin the most technical, but perhaps she will discover genetic abilities from her father Louis, who won gold in this throwing event at the 1993 World Student Games gold.
Her final event, the 800m, was tough, she admitted. 'It's very emotional because you're finished, you are in pain. But I knew I got my first South African title so it was a good feeling for me through the pain,' added the final year pharmacy student at North West University.
Leendert Koekemoer broke the 31-year-old national under-20 400m record as he finished second in his semifinal in 45.03, one-hundredth behind Gardeo Isaacs.
The previous 45.15 mark from May 1994 was held by Riaan Dempers.
The men's 400m final is set for Saturday.
Breyton Poole, 25, won his first senior high jump title, taking the triumph on countback with a 2.20m clearance.
In other action, multiple champions Leandri Holtzhausen, Victor Hogan and Zinzi Xulu ended top of their podiums.
Holtzhausen won the women's hammer with a throw of 66.97m, Hogan took the men's discus with a best twirl of 61.11m and Xulu finished first in the women's triple jump with a 13.44 hop, skip and jump.
